Egg carton



Nov. 14, 1967 A EISENBERG EGG CARTON 4 Sheets-Sheet l I Filed July 21, 1965 JNVENTbR. Z red 25 ezz'g ATTORNEYS v- 14, 1 6 A. EISENBERG 8,352,477

EGG CARTON Filed July 21, 1965 V 4 Sheets-Sheet .2

INVENTOR.

m'w ATTORNEYS NOV. 14, 1967 ElsENBERG 3,352,477

EGG CARTON Filed July 21, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 6! I 1 INVENTOR.

I AZ dlsazber T1 10 6? a? B a Q Z g ATTORNEYS United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Egg carton and closure for the carton, protecting the eggs in the carton and accommodating ready stacking of the cartons. The egg carton may be of a molded form having hollow protective posts forming general vertical continuations of the egg pockets at the center of each cluster of four egg pockets and of a height greater than the height of the egg-s in the egg pockets. The carton also has protective end posts in alignment with the protective posts and extending vertically of the ends of the carton. The closure is in the form of a generally hexagonal sleeve having flat top and bottom walls and sloping side walls converging to an apex at the rim of a carton and conforming generally to the forms of the egg pockets and the eggs contained in the pockets. Locking means are provided at the ends of the sleeves which may be in the form of inwardly pressable corner sections adapted to be pressed inwardly of the bottom and side walls of the sleeve at opposite ends of the sleeve, or which may be in the form of inwardly pressable end hoods or closures for the sleeve.

This invention relates to improvements in cartons and more particularly relates to an improved form of load bearing molded egg carton.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple and improved egg carton arranged with a view toward ready stacking of the cartons filled with eggs and avoiding damage to the eggs in the stacked cartons. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of egg carton affording maximum protection to the eggs, in which the closure means for the carton is readily removable from the carton and is locked in place on the carton in a simplified manner to protect the eggs from damage when stacked, during transportation and on display.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of egg carton enclosed by a paperboard sleeve generally conforming to the form of the carton and the eggs therein and is provided with a fiat top and bottom to enhance stackability of the eggs and to protect the eggs during transportation and display.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of molded egg carton and paperboard closure means therefor, arranged with a view toward utmost simplicity in construction and protective qualities for the eggs.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved form of molded egg carton of a cellular form containing rows of pockets for the individual eggs, with center posts between the rows of pockets and extending above the sidewalls of the carton to a height slightly greater than the height of the eggs contained in the carton, in which a simplified form of closure sleeve having sidewalls conforming generally to the form of the carton and the eggs contained therein and is locked in position to cover the eggs and carton by inwardly collapsing opposite end portions of the sleeve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simpler stacka-ble molded egg carton than formerly, in which the carton is closed by a slidable paperboard sleeve and has center posts extending along the center of the carton at the adjacent end portions of the egg containing pockets of the carton and extending above the sidewalls of the carton, with at least one bridge member extending across the carton and conformed generally to the closure sleeve and stabilizing the sleeve.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of molded egg carton having a simplified form of closure sleeve therefor enhancing the stackability and protective properties of the carton and arranged so as to be wrapped about the carton as the carton is loaded with eggs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cellular molded egg carton having center posts extending above the walls of the carton and a bridge portion extending across the carton intermediate the ends thereof and arranged to enable ready separation of the carton.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an egg carton constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with the protective sleeve for the carton broken away and shown in horizontal section, in order to illustrate certain of the egg pockets of the molded cellular carton;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the egg carton shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line III-III of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a development view of the closure sleeve for the cellular carton, showing the sleeve prior to formation into its sleeve-like form;

FIGURE 5 is an end view of a modified form of carton closure sleeve showing a form of closure sleeve adapted for closing two cartons in side-by-side relation in respect to each other;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of a modified carton sleeve constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, showing the sleeve in an open position and slipped onto a carton filled with eggs; I

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the sleeve shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is an end view of the carton sleeve shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, showing the sleeve in its closed position;

FIGURE 9 is an end view of a molded cellular egg carton constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with the closure sleeve therefor removed, and showing a separable bridge extending across a molded carton along the intermediate center ports thereof, retaining the closure sleeve from tilting and enabling ready separation of the carton along its transverse center;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the molded carton shown in FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is an end view of a modified form of carton constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a form of sleeve that may be wrapped about the carton when filled with eggs; and

FIGURE 12 is a development view of the sleeve shown in FIGURE 11.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, an egg carton is shown as including a molded cellular carton 10 closed by a closure member 11, herein shown as being a sleeve. The carton 10 may be molded from wood pulp or any other suitable material in a conventional manner and includes a plurality of cells or egg-containing pockets 12, having generally ovate bottoms 13 and sidewalls 15, 15 sloping upwardly therefrom at relatively steep angles, to substantially conform to the bottom halves of eggs contained within the pockets. The sidewalls 15 at the outer sides of the pockets terminate into a generally horizontally extending rim 16 extending outwardly of the pockets along opposite sides and ends of the carton. The egg pockets 12 and sidewalls 15 thereof are shown in FIGURE 2 :as extending vertically at relatively steep angles for a distance equal'substantially to the height of the lower half of an egg. The center post 17 extends vertically from the center or juncture of a cluster of four pockets above the rim 16 to a height slightly greater than the height of the average egg. The center posts 17 thus engage the underside of a horizontal top wall 19 of the closure member 11, to retain the closure member in extended relation, with the top wall 19 flat, and accommodate stacking of the cartons one on top of the other and protect the eggs when the cartons are stacked.

The side and end walls of adjacent pockets 12 inwardly of the rim 16, merge beneath the rim 16. The center posts 17 extend upwardly of the merged side and end walls of the pockets at angles, substantially equal to the angles of inclination of the sidewalls 15, to form vertical protective continuations thereof.

The closure sleeve 11 is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 as being generally hexagonal in form, having a widened bottom wall 21, diverging sidewalls 22 extending upwardly therefrom at diverging angles with respect to the bottom 21, to positions adjacent the rim 16 of the molded carton. Sidewalls 23 form angular inward continuations of the sidewalls 22 and converge to the top wall 19 and generally conform to the portions of the eggs extending above the rim 16 of the carton to retain the eggs in place in the carton and protect the eggs from damage.

7 As shown in FIGURE 1, a tear strip 25 is formed along one sidewall 23, to accommodate ready opening of the carton. The tear strip 25 may be formed in a convent ional manner by providing rows of converging slits 26 extending inwardly of the margins of the tear strip for the length of the sidewall 23, in a manner which is no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

The sleeve 11 may be made from paperboard or a like material, and in the development view of the sleeve shown in FIGURE 4, I have shown one boundary of the bottom wall 21 defined by a scored line 27, leaving a bendable gluing flap 29 extending from said score line. The gluing flap 29 may be bent upwardly along the score line 27 and glued to the inside of a diverging sidewall 22, as shown in FIGURE 3.

I have also shown a plurality of parallel score lines 30, 30 defining the margins of the bottom 21 and adjacent outwardly and inwardly flaring sidewalls 22 and 23. One side of the top wall 19 and converging sidewall 23 is defined by a dashed line 28 extending along one side of the tear strip 25 and the boundary between the adjacent sidewalls 23 and 22. A score line 30 defines the opposite margin of the top wall 19 and the next adjacent sidewall 23. The opposite boundary of the next adjacent sidewall 23 and the sidewall 22 is defined by a fourth score line 30. The cut blank may thus be folded along the score lines 27, 30, 30 and the tear strip 25 along the dashed line 28, to the generally hexagonal form shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, with the converging sidewalls 23, 23 thereof conforming generally to the upwardly projecting portions of the eggs contained within the pockets 12, of the cellular carton.

A means is provided to retain the closure sleeve to the cellular carton ,which is herein shown as being a pair of opposite inwardly pressed locking corners 31, 31 pressed inwardly of opposite ends of the bottom 21 and an outwardly flaring sidewall 22 of the closure sleeve, to register with opposite ends of the carton and retain the sleeve in position about the carton. The locking corners 31, 31 are folded inwardly along parallel relatively short score lines 32, 32 spaced'equal distances from opposite sides of a score line 30 defining the boundary between one side of the bottom 21 and an outwardly flaring sidewall 22. The score lines 32, 32 are connected together at their inner ends by a slit 33 extending entirely through the carton blank and herein shown as being of an arcuate form struck from an arc, the center of which is on the center of the score line 30. Thus, then the sleeve 11 is assembled and folded along the score lines 27 and 30, 30 to the form show in FIGURES 2 and 3 and glued by gluing the flap 29 to the inside of a diverging sidewall 22, the sleeve 11 may be slipped along a carton filled with eggs, and the locking comers 31 pressed inwardly into engagement with opposite ends of the cellular carton 10 to positively lock the sleeve in position on the carton.

The carton filled with eggs is then in condition for shipment and display. The flat tops and bottoms of the sleeve, retained in extended condition by the center posts 17 and in spaced protective relation with respect to the tops of the eggs contained in the pockets 12 provide flat stacking surfaces, accommodating ready stacking of the filled cartons, without fear of damaging the eggs contained therein. Access to the eggs may be had by pulling along the tear strip 25, or where it may be desired to reuse the sleeve, by pressing one of the inturned locking corners 21 outwardly, to enable the carton to clear the locking corner.

In FIGURE 5 I have shown a wide sleeve 35 com structed along lines similar to which the sleeve 11 is constructed, except the bottom of the sleeve is split, and a flap 36 overlaps a bottom portion 37, shown as ex tending along the center of the sleeve and glued or other= wise secured there-to. The sleeve 35 also has locking corners 39, 39 at each side and end thereof, like the locking corners 31, which may be pressed inwardly to engage individual cellular cartons 10 of two cartons contained in side-by-side relation with respect to each other within the sleeve.

In FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 I have shown a modified form of cellular carton 40 closed by a sleeve 41, retained to the carton by the inward pressing of locking hood-like end portions 43 thereof.

In this form of the invention the cellular carton 30 has a plurality of egg pockets 42 formed therein, like the egg pockets 12 of the cellular carton 10. The carton also has spaced center posts (not shown) at the juncture of each four egg pockets, extending upwardly into engagement with a top 44 of the sleeve 41. In addition to the center posts, the carton has end buffers 45 extending upwardly from opposite ends thereof, of the same general form as the center post, and engaging the under side of the top wall 44 of the sleeve 41 to protect the eggs at opposite ends of the carton.

The sleeve 41 may be formed in a manner similar to which the sleeve 11 is formed and has a bottom 46 opposite inclined diverging sidewalls 4'7, 47 extending to a rim 43 of the carton, and having converging sidewalls 49, 49 forming upper continuations of the sidewalls 47, 47 and converging to the top 44, in protective relation with respect to the eggs contained within the egg pockets in the cellular carton.

The locking hood 43 at each end of the sleeve 41 is shown as being formed from vertically extending score lines 50 extending vertically along the sidewalls 47 and 49 and generally in alignment with opposite ends of the carton when the carton is in position within the sleeve 41. The score lines 50 have spaced slits 51 therein and extending entirely through the sleeve. The score lines 50 are connected together at their upper ends by a score line and the slit structure 53, extending across the 'top 44 of the carton to form the outwardly projecting hood 43. From the top of the carton at the juncture of the score lines 53 and 50 is a diagonal downwardly extending score line 55 extending from the junctures of the score lines 53 with the lines 50 angularly downwardly along a sidewall 52 of the hood to the outer end thereof. The score line 55 is shown as having slits 56 therein to facilitate the end of each score line 55, is a diagonal inwardly and downwardly extending score line 57 having slits 58 therein and with the diagonal score line 55 forming the outer angular boundaries of a gusset 59, connecting a side 52 to the top of the hood.

When the carton is in position within the sleeve 41 it may be locked in position by pressing inwardly on the gussets 59 folding the hood 43 downwardly and inwardly along the end of the carton to hold the carton in position within the hood.

The hood 43 folded downwardly and inwardly along the ends of the carton thus serves as a locking means for locking the sleeve to the carton and effectively protecting the eggs in the carton, from blows at the ends of the carton.

In FIGURES 9 and I have shown a form of separable molded cellular carton 60, having rows of cells or pockets for eggs 61, and upstanding center posts 62 extending upwardly on a rim 63 of the carton. The center posts 62 are like the center posts 17 in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4. The carton is also shown as having an end buffer 64 at each end thereof, to protect the eggs at opposite ends of the carton.

At the transverse center of the carton and extending thereacross and dividing the carton into two sections of six egg pockets each, is a transverse bridge 65 extending across the carton and having a top surface 66 of the height of the posts 62, and opposite inclined sidewalls 67 converging from the rim 63 of the carton to the top sur face 66 thereof. The bridge 65, in effect, forms an upper continuation of the center post and conforms to the top half of the inside of a closure sleeve (not shown) which may be like the sleeve 11 or the sleeve 31 and retains the sleeve from side tilting movement and thereby increases the stability of the sleeve. The bridge 65 is shown as having a separation groove 69 extending across the top and downwardly along the sides thereof. The separation groove 69 is shown as extending along the rim 63 and entirely across the underside of the carton, to enable ready separation of the carton. When the carton is covered by a closure member, the closure member may also be separable along its transverse center, as by a tear strip (not shown), or by any other arrangement, enabling the closure member to be separated with the carton.

It should here be understood that while I have only shown one transverse bridge extending across the transverse center of. the carton, that similar bridges may extend across the carton at each center post, and that certain of these bridges may have separation grooves extending therealong to enable separation of the carton into any desired number of egg pockets.

In FIGURES l1 and 12 a cellular egg carton 70 is shown which is similar to the carton shown in FIGS. 1 to 8. The carton 70 has a plurality of rows of egg pockets 71, 71 therein, bounded by a rim 73 extending about the carton. The rim 73 terminates at opposite ends of the carton, at the transverse center thereof, into upwardly extending end buffers 74 forming in effect upward end continuations of the rim 73. The carton also has center posts 75 spaced therealong and extending upwardly from the points of intersection of each four egg pockets, throughout the length of the carton and forming an egg protective structure and a supporting structure for the under surface of a sleeve 76.

In this form of the invention the sleeve is shown as being of a form that may be wrapped about the carton when packed, and may be made from paperboard, like the sleeves previously mentioned.

A paperboard blank 77 from which the sleeve 76 may be formed is shown in FIGURE 12. The blank is shown as having a plurality of equally spaced ears 81, 81 extending from the end thereof and inwardly spaced ears 82, 82 cut therefrom, to extend inwardly of a score line 79 adjacent the ears 81. The ears 82, 82 may be bent downwardly into engagement with end walls 83 formed in aligned keystone slots 84 in an underlapping bottom 85 at the opposite end of the blank from the ears 82. It should here be understood/that the ears 81, 81 engage opposite end walls 86, 86 of the keystone slots 84 as shown in FIG. 11. The next inwardly spaced score line 79 from the ears 82 defines the bottom boundary of a diverging angular sidewall 87. The next succeeding score lines 79 define the boundaries of a next adjacent converging sidewall 88, a top 89 terminating along a dashed line 92 at one side of a tear strip 90. The dashed line 92 forms a boundary of an outwardly diverging sidewall 91, extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom and terminating into a converging sidewall 93, extending angularly inwardly and downwardly from the sidewall 91. The next score line 79 defines the inner margin on the underlapping bottom 85 having the keystone slots 84 therein, and locked in position by the ears 81 and 82 extending through said slots and bent over the bottom of the underlapping bottom 85. The outer edge of the underlapping bottom 85 has a plurality of tabs 95 extending therefrom, adapted to fit through slots 96, 96 in the underlapped bottom 80. The tabs 95, 95 are shown in FIGURE 11 as being bent to extend vertically upwardly into the sleeve to engage the outer sidewalls of certain of the pockets 71, to lock the cellular carton 70 into position within the sleeve 76.

This form of sleeve is particularly adapted for operations where it may be desirable to wrap the sleeve about the loaded carton, and lock the sleeve in place on the carton, particularly where the wrapping operation may be by machine.

While the sleeve is retained to its generally hexagonal form by the locking tabs 95, 95 and the ears 81, 81 and 82, 82, it should be understood that the tabsmay be dispensed with and the sleeve may be glued after being wrapped about the carton, by one of the well-known forms of hot melt glues, setting rapidly with the application of very little pressure. The sleeve, of course, may take various other forms and be locked closed by interengagingtabs or by glue, in various other manners than shown herein.

While I have herein shown and described several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various other variations and modifications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an egg carton and in combination with a closure sleeve therefor,

a cellular molded carton having a plurality of egg holding pockets therein having ovate bottoms and steeply inclined side walls extending upwardly therefrom,

an outer rim extending about the carton outwardly of the outer side walls of said pockets and defining the upper outer margin of the carton pockets,

a plurality of centerposts spaced along the center of the carton and forming upward continuations of the side walls of adjacent pockets of certain clusters of four pockets, and terminating at an elevation above the tops of the eggs contained in said pockets,

and at least one bridge extending across the carton and upwardly of said rim and terminating at the plane of termination of said centerposts and engaging the inside of the closure sleeve and retaining the closure sleeve from tilting with respect to the carton.

2. An egg carton in accordance with claim 1 wherein the bridge extends across the center of the carton along the center of a cluster of four egg pockets and has a separating groove extending thereacross and downwardly therealong and beneath and across the carton, to accommodate ready separation of the carton along said bridge.

3. An egg carton in accordance with claim 1 wherein the carton has a plurality of bridges extending thereacross and wherein at least one bridge extends across the center of the carton along the center of a cluster of four pockets and has a separating groove therein extending therealong 4. In a packaging device for eggs and the like and in combination with a molded egg carton having a plurality of egg pockets and longitudinally spaced centerposts extending thereabove,

closure means for said carton comprising an open ended sleeve slidable over the carton and generally conforming to the form of the carton and the eggs theresaid sleeve having a flat bottom, a parallel flat top and angular side walls diverging angularly upwardly from said bottom to positions adjacent the tops of said pockets and converging angularly inwardly to said top and generally conforming to the eggs in said pockets,

said sleeve having a locking hood projecting from each end thereof,

the inner boundaries of each hood being defined by score lines extending vertically along opposite diverging and converging sides of said hood inwardly of the ends thereof,

and a transverse score line at the inner end of each hood, connecting said vertical score lines together,

angular score lines extending angularly downwardly and outwardly along the converging sides of each hood from the junctures of said vertical score lines with said transverse score lines to the ends of the converging sides of said hood,

and other angular score lines extending inwardly from the outer ends of said first mentioned angular score lines angularly downwardly and inwardly to said vertical score lines and intersecting said vertical score lines at the juncture of said converging side walls with said diverging side walls and forming gussets extending along each converging side wall, pressable inwardly to fold and lock the hoods over the ends of the carton.

5. In a packaging device for eggs and the like,

a cellular molded egg carton having a plurality of clusters of egg pockets therein having generally ovate bottoms and steeply inclined side walls extending upwardly therefrom and terminating in a rim extending about the carton,

protective centerposts spaced along the carton at the centers of each cluster of four egg pockets and forming upward continuations of the inner side walls of the egg pockets at each cluster of four pockets and terminating in vertically spaced relation with respect to said rim, at a height greater than the height of an end posts at the ends of the carton in alignment with said protective centerposts and extending upwardly of opposite ends of the carton to substantially the height of the centerposts and having generally vertically extending outer margins forming protective end buffers for the carton,

and means for closing the carton and providing-stackable flat top and bottom surfaces comprising a generally hexagonal sleeve having fiat top and bottom walls and angular side walls extending downwardly and upwardly therefrom conforming generally to the slopes of the egg pockets of thecarton and the eggs contained therein and slidable over the carton to form a stackable protective cover therefor.

6. The structure of claim 5,

wherein means are provided for locking said sleeve in position on the carton comprising opposite inwardly pressable end portions of the sleeve, pressable inwardly along opposite ends of the sleeve to lock the carton in position in the sleeve.

7. The structure of claim 5,

wherein the sleeve is adapted to retain a plurality of cartons in side by side relation with respect to each other.

8. The structure of claim 6,

wherein the locking means is defined by parallel score lines extending inwardly of the bottom and an adjacent side wall of the carton, at opposite ends of the carton, and r wherein an arcuate slit extending through the bottom and adjacent side wall of the carton connects said score lines together, whereby the pressing inwardly of the slit and scored portions of the carton will effect inward collapsible movement thereof into position to intercept movement of the carton along the sleeve and retain the carton loaded with eggs to the sleeve.

9. The structure of claim 5,

wherein a locking hood extends from each end of the sleeve, the inner margins of which hoods are defined by score lines extending across the top of the sleeve inwardly of each end thereof, and vertically along.

said converging and diverging side walls, and wherein gussets in said converging side walls having apices at the outer ends of said converging side walls intermediate the tops and bottoms thereof, are pressable inwardly to fold and lock the hoods over the ends of the carton to retain the carton to the sleevei.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,692,077 10/ 1954 Kuhlman.

3,111,223 11/1963 Jacobi 22939 X 3,128,010 4/1964 Forrer 229-40 X 3,162,352 12/ 1964 Swain 22929 3,163,345 12/1964 Swertfiger 22929' 3,166,190 1/ 1965 Comrades 22940 3,167,214 1/1965 Mahon 22940v 3,192,050 6/1965 Almquist 2292.5 3,194,476 7/1965 Weiss 22940 3,223,307 12/1965 Kuhlman 22928 3,245,570 4/1966 Friday 2292.5 3,248,004 4/ 1966 Weiss 22940 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN EGG CARTON AND IN COMBINATION WITH A CLOSURE SLEEVE THEREFOR, A CELLULAR MOLDED CARTON HAVING A PLURALITY OF EGG HOLDING POCKETS THEREIN HAVING OVATE BOTTOMS AND STEEPLY INCLINED SIDE WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, AN OUTER RIM EXTENIDNG ABOUT THE CARTON OUTWARDLY OF THE OUTER SIDE WALLS OF SAID POCKETS AND DEFINING THE UPPER OUTER MARGIN OF THE CARTON POCKETS, A PLURALITY OF CENTERPOSTS SPACED ALONG THE CENTER OF THE CARTON AND FORMING UPWARD CONTINUATIONS OF THE SIDE WALLS OF ADJACENT POCKETS OF CERTAIN CLUSTERS OF FOUR POCKETS, AND TERMINATING AT AN ELEVATION ABOVE THE TOPS OF THE EGGS CONTAINED IN SAID POCKETS, AND AT LEAST ONE BRIDGE EXTENDING ACROSS THE CARTON AND UPWARDLY OF SAID RIM AND TERMINATING AT THE PLANE OF TERMINATION OF SAID CENTERPOSTS AND ENGAGING THE INSIDE OF THE CLOSURE SLEEVE AND RETAINING THE CLOSURE SLEEVE FROM TILTING WITH RESPECT TO THE CARTON. 